Tag Archives: Statue

February 10, 2003 – The Partners Statue is Installed at the Disney Studios

On February 10, 2003, the fifth copy of the iconic Partners statue was installed at the Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The original statue, created by Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, was installed in the central hub of Disneyland on November 18, 1993, with the other three copies placed in Disney Parks. The idea of Walt holding Mickey’s hand was inspired by a scene from the animated feature film Fantasia, where Mickey shakes the hand of famed conductor Leopold Stokowski.

October 1, 1999 – The “Sharing the Magic” Statue is Installed in Walt Disney World

“…Blaine’s intent was to show Minnie’s conscious decision to sit right next to Roy as a way to make him more ‘approachable,’ as he was rarely in the limelight as was Walt.”

On October 1, 1999, a special statue featuring Roy O. Disney and Minnie Mouse was installed in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park’s Town Square; the statue was named “Sharing the Magic.” The statue was created by Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, who also created the famous Partners statue that was installed in Disneyland on November 18, 1993. Roy was an important figure in Disney history, as he was a savvy businessman that would help turn Walt’s dreams into reality. Copies of this statue have been installed in the Disney Studio in Burbank on February 10, 2003, and the World Bazaar of Tokyo Disneyland.

“Sotheby’s and Disney have a long-standing relationship, and we are thrilled to have been selected to conduct this special auction of 75 inspired visions of Mickey Mouse in a sale that will benefit a host of worthy charitable organizations.”

On September 27, 2005, Sotheby’s Auction House held a special auction of 75 uniquely designed statues of Mickey Mouse that were created and toured around the country to celebrate 75 years of Mickey Mouse. The statues were designed by a host of celebrities, ranging from Elton John to Nine Old Men animator Ollie Johnston. About $614,500 was raised from the auction; the money went to about 50 separate organizations, from Make-A-Wish Foundation to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.

“We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun – together.”

On June 19, 1995, the Partners statue was installed at Walt Disney World, in the hub of the Magic Kingdom Park. The statue was originally installed in Disneyland to celebrate the 65th birthday of Mickey Mouse, and was created by Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, who had come out of retirement just for the project. The Walt Disney World statue is the second of five installations of the statue, with the others in Tokyo Disneyland, Walt Disney Studios Paris, and at the Disney Studios in Burbank. The

“I thought that it was an honor to do a statue of Mickey and Walt who was, in my opinion, the real genius behind all of this…Walt gave me and many others some of the happiest times of our lives, and this project was important because it wasn’t just for Walt…it was about Walt.” – Disney Legend Blaine Gibson

On November 18, 1993, the famous Partners statue was installed in the hub at Disneyland. Depicting Walt Disney holding hands with Mickey Mouse, it was added to the park to celebrate Mickey’s 65th birthday. It was created by Disney Legend and former Imagineer Blaine Gibson, who came out of retirement specifically for this project, and it took him a year to work on it. The statue was based on a bust Gibson had done for Walt back in the 1960s as a thank you gift, although Walt had apparently said upon seeing it, “What am I going to do with this? Statues are for dead people.” The statue stands at 6’ 5” tall, although Walt himself was only 5’ 10”, and the hand-holding between Mickey and Walt was based on the movie Fantasia, where conductor Leopold Stokowski shakes Mickey’s hand after the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sequence. The unveiling ceremony featured many Disney Legends in attendance, including Rickard Sherman, who played a rendition of “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins, one of Walt’s favorite songs. At one point during the performance, one bird flew down and glided right over the piano, with Sherman taking this as a sign from Walt that he approved. Since the unveiling of the statue, copies of it have been replicated in other parks: Walt Disney World in 1995, Tokyo Disneyland in 1998, Walt Disney Studios Paris in 2002, and the Disney Studio in Burbank in 2003.